The Minister Delegate in charge of Health, Frédéric Valletoux, has just unveiled his first action plan to fight against gender-based and sexual violence in hospitals. Proposals not always in line with the expectations of associations.
On Wednesday May 29, caregivers gathered in front of the Ministry of Health in Paris to denounce sexist and sexual violence in hospitals and medical universities. As reports of sexual harassment multiply, the MeToo movement is now reaching the medical sector. Particularly after the accusations of infectious disease specialist Karine Lacombe against the highly publicized emergency physician Patrick Pelloux.
Rue de Grenelle, the gathering was initiated by the Emma Auclert collective. Thursday morning, the delegation was received by the office of the Minister for Health, Frédéric Valletoux. The latter then detailed for The Parisian the first measures put in place by the government to fight against the scourge of sexist and sexual violence in medical settings. These first initiatives will be followed by other announcements before the end of the summer.
Training and listening units to “reassure victims”
One of the main difficulties for a victim lies in finding an attentive and trustworthy ear in whom to confide. This is why, as Frédéric Valletoux revealed in the columns of Le Parisien, the executive will set up listening units, made up of external experts to “give investigations the maximum chance of succeeding” and “reassure the victims”. Young retirees and health professionals specializing in the subject could be requisitioned. “In conjunction with the Ministry of Justice, each prosecution will be made aware” specifies the daily. In addition, within three years, the medical staff of public health establishments must have undergone training in gender-based and sexual violence.
The executive advocates transparency to “no longer hide”
To encourage the freedom of victims to speak out, and to attempt to systematize reports in the event of abuses, an association will be responsible for running a helpline to collect victims’ reports. If such a system already exists at the Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), it does not yet seem to be bearing fruit. Le Parisien indicates that the listening cell set up in 2021 gave rise to fewer than 300 reports, and 5% of them concerned situations of a sexual and sexist nature. By requiring establishments to publish the number of reports, investigations and sanctions given, the government hopes to gain transparency. “We will no longer be able to hide” indicates Frédéric Valletoux, still in Le Parisien. Finally, on the subject of the presumption of innocence, the minister specifies that “in the world of health the laws of the Republic also apply”, so, “the sole reporting cannot lead to automatic withdrawal and the disciplinary procedure must take its course,” he recalls. However, certain specific and serious cases could give rise to different treatment.
Announcements below expectations
Will these announcements satisfy unions and associations? Not really if we refer to what the associations were demanding before the first action plan unveiled by the executive. The latter particularly wanted more resources. “Today, in hospitals, there are gender equality plans that are put in place, but these are plans that are made without budgetary and human resources” regrets a trade unionist with RMC.
They also demand a ban on changing services for an employee who is a victim of violence if she has not requested it herself, as well as a ban on practicing for students and doctors convicted by the courts. It is clear that there is not the slightest trace of this request in government announcements. For compulsory training, the government has provided some elements of response with a three-year horizon to put the system in place. Concerning the disappearance of the pornographic frescoes in the guard rooms, Frédéric Valletoux claims to have “asked the management to have them erased by the end of September at the latest”.